Defending Dad's Honor
by EsmeAmelia
Summary: Young Ben Solo gets in trouble at school and Han has trouble disciplining him.


AN: Everyone knows I don't own Star Wars.

"Defending Dad's Honor"

By EsmeAmelia

Han hated visiting the principal's office. Not just because he had unpleasant memories of being sent to the principal's office when he was a kid (well, before his parents died and he joined the White Worms, at least), but also because it meant he'd have to discipline his baby boy, and he'd never been good at that. Even if the problem was entirely Ben's fault, all the kid needed to do was look at his father with those big brown eyes and Han's heart would melt.

And there he was, slouching on the cushioned bench in front of the principal's desk, arms folded, head down. "Hey son," said Han, sitting on the bench next to Ben. "What's up?"

"Thank you for coming, Mr. Solo," said Principal Wynn, a Twi'lek woman with green skin and unusually long lekku that dangled over her shoulders.

"What's this about?" asked Han. "Whatever it is, I'm sure Ben didn't mean it."

The principal sighed, looking like she was trying to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. "Mr. Solo, your son started a fight at recess with two other boys."

"They started it!" Ben shouted. "It wasn't my fault!"

"Well, you heard him," said Han. "It wasn't his fault."

"Mr. _Solo!"_ exclaimed Principal Wynn, glaring at Han with those sharp green eyes. "Ben was the one who _physically attacked_ them. One of them even ended up with a nosebleed from your son's punch!"

"Only cause they were picking on Dad!" Ben retorted.

Han looked down at his son, feeling like he'd been punched in the gut. "What do you mean, buddy?"

Ben stared at his father with tear-filled eyes. "They were talking _trash_ about you, calling you a dirty no-good smuggler and saying Mom shouldn't have married you cause a princess has no business marrying a _scumrat!_"

Han's heart pounded at _that word_, the word that even all these years later still triggered awful memories.

"So I _had_ to jump them!" Ben continued. "I couldn't let them talk about you like that!"

Han took a deep breath and swallowed in an attempt to moisten his suddenly-dry mouth. "Ben, even if those kids were sayin' mean things about me, you can't attack 'em like that."

"But you and Mom always say we have to stand up for what we believe in and defend people we love!" The tears were streaming down Ben's face now. "I was trying to defend you!"

How was Han supposed to answer to that? Suddenly he wondered if he had been a poor role model who had inadvertently taught his son that violence was the answer. After all, he'd told plenty of stories about fighting and killing people in the war.

"Ben, it doesn't matter that you were trying to defend your father," Principal Wynn was saying. "You _don't attack people!"_

"But _they started it!"_

With that, Ben broke down crying, reflexively stimulating Han to wrap his arms around his son. "There, there," he murmured. "It's all right."

"No, it is _not_ all right!" the principal shouted. "Mr. Solo, you can't just baby your son when he starts a fight like that."

"I _didn't start it!"_ Ben wailed through his tears.

Han meanwhile glared up at the principal. "Look lady, you got _no_ right to tell me how to parent my kid! Sure, you get to discipline him here, but _I'm_ his dad."

Principal Wynn wrinkled her nose as if Han smelled like a taun-taun. "Mr. Solo, you might want to just give in every time your son makes a sad face, but that teaches him that he is owed everything he wants. He needs _discipline_ in order to function in society."

"Fine!" Han snapped. "You want me to discipline him, I'll discipline him." He turned to face Ben. "Ben, no hologames for two days."

"What?" Ben exclaimed.

"You heard me," said Han. "You can't attack people, even if they're insultin' your dad. You gotta defend people you love with your _words_ instead." He looked back up at the principal. "There, happy now?"

"I most certainly am _not_ happy!"

"Well, tough," said Han, taking Ben's hand and standing up. "Look Ben, this is how you defend people you love by using words." He pointed a finger at the principal. "Ben shouldn't have gotten physical with the kids, I agree with that, but his _heart_ was in the right place. Those kids were bein' nasty to someone he loves and he stood up to them, like how I'm standin' up to you and tellin' you Ben's a good kid. C'mon Ben, we're goin' home."

. . .

Han felt drained as he drove the speeder home. He wanted to just flop down on the couch as soon as they got home and take a good long nap, but that probably wasn't an option when Leia was at work and there was no one else to watch Ben. Damn, he missed the days when he and Ben could just nap together and forget their problems for a while.

"Dad?" Ben asked from the backseat.

"Yeah?"

"I didn't wanna attack those boys."

"I know, son."

"I just . . . I just got so _angry_ when they were saying those mean things about you. That doesn't make me a bad person, does it?"

Han wanted to reach back and hug his son again, but of course he couldn't do so when driving. "Of course not, buddy. Everyone gets angry sometimes – the trick is dealin' with your anger in a way that doesn't hurt other people."

"I'll try to do better."

"I know you will, kiddo." He took a deep breath, realizing that his knuckles had whitened from gripping the steering wheel too hard. "You know what, I'm too worn out to cook dinner – what do ya say to ordering bantha burgers?"

"Really?"

"Really. I think your mom'll appreciate it when she gets home too and then maybe she won't be so angry when she hears about the little principal visit."

"Great!"

Good, Ben was happy. This whole thing would blow over soon, right?

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you mean it when you said no hologames for two days?"

Han actually found himself grinning. "Well . . . maybe we can work something out there."

THE END


End file.
